Communication technologies that wirelessly link electronic devices are well known in the art. In most wireless systems, wireless devices operate in cooperation with one another to form a wireless network. These wireless devices may be compliant with one or more operating standards, e.g., IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Bluetooth, etc. Some of these wireless networks, e.g., those that operate according to one portion of IEEE 802.11, include at least one Wireless Access Points (WAP) that services a plurality of wireless clients. Wireless clients may include desktop computers, laptop computers, printers, personal data assistants, and other electronic devices.
Each wireless device of the wireless network typically includes a wireless network card that facilitates the wireless communications. A wireless network card typically includes a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and components contained thereon. As is generally known, the PCB serves as a mounting surface for the components and provides device interconnection conductors, shielding, etc. The wireless network card may be a PCI card, a PCMCIA card, or another card that is added to a corresponding wireless device. Components placed on the PCB include host interface circuitry, baseband-processing circuitry that implements communication protocol operations, Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry, and at least one antenna. The electronics of the wireless network card may be formed in a single integrated circuit or in multiple integrated circuits.
Each wireless network card has its respective operational requirements. For example, WAP wireless network cards must have greater transmit power and greater receive gain than do client wireless network cards. Thus, while client wireless network cards often times employ internal antennas that locate on the surface of the corresponding PCB, WAP wireless network cards typically employ external antennas having relatively larger antenna gains.
The components of the WAP wireless network cards and the client wireless network cards are typically otherwise very similar or identical. Thus, to support different antenna structures, WAP wireless network cards and client wireless access cards require differing PCB structures. While PCBs manufactured for WAP wireless network cards must include external antenna connections, PCBs manufactured for client wireless network cards must include internal (surface mount) antenna connections. Further still, a third type of wireless network card used for lab testing purposes is required to have both internal antenna connections and external antenna connections. Thus, three different PCB designs must be manufactured to service these purposes, even though they may contain the same/similar electronic components.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a wireless network card structure that may be used for client devices and WAPs. Further, a need exists for a wireless network card structure that may be used for client devices, WAPs, and for lab testing purposes.